1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a surveillance system and, more particularly, to a vehicle-mounted surveillance system including a stabilizing mechanism for providing a steady image stream during vehicle motion.
2. Prior Art
Very often vehicles are operated by persons other than their owners. In those situations the owners normally have a vested interest in seeing that their vehicles are operated in a safe and prudent manner. For example, the backs of trucks are often marked, “How is my driving? Call (a certain telephone number).” Rental car companies also have an interest in seeing that their cars are not mishandled. Government agencies too sometimes need to maintain surveillance on the operation of their law enforcement vehicles, especially with the heightened threat of terrorist activities.
As opposed to organizations with substantial resources, individuals have a far more limited means available to them for this purpose. Thus parents, for example, have had to rely on word of mouth reports as to how their adolescent children drive a family car. Thus a need has long existed for a way of monitoring the driving of adolescent children which is cost effective, both in terms of equipment and time efficiency, and yet which may be achieved with reasonable cost economy.
Traditionally, surveillance is done using a system that photographs subjects at remote locations and transmits data representative of the photograph to a base location. As concerns over security increase, more locations, such as automatic tellers (ATMs), have incorporated a photographic identification system in order to deter thefts and unlawful acts. Such systems make routine surveillance images of subjects as they present themselves at the location to be protected. By storing images of persons as they present themselves at a location, they are less likely to commit a crime since the image has “pre-witnessed” them.
Images accumulated by a surveillance system are stored on video tape or by other means for later processing. In the event that a wrongful act occurs at a remote location in which images are collected, the images can be cross matched to the approximate time of the act and the identity of the subject, based upon reviewed images can be ascertained.
While the above-described surveillance systems have become increasingly common at permanent fixed locations, the use of such surveillance in mobile applications has been more problematic. It can prove difficult and unreliable to store the images on board a vehicle since they are prone to tampering. A typical environment in which surveillance of subjects may be particularly desirable is in the taxicab industry. The ability to remotely store images of passengers, before or as they enter a vehicle or surrounding building structure, would invariably serve to deter would-be thieves from carrying out their plans.
Accordingly, a need remains for a vehicle mounted surveillance system that overcomes the above-noted shortcomings, especially for overcoming terrorist activities in vulnerable areas of the world. This invention will be beneficial to Neighborhood Watch Programs and the Amber Alert Program for missing children. This invention is also designed to provide personal safety and give owners and family members peace of mind through knowing that the area around their vehicle is safe before they arrive there. In situations where the owner is apprehensive about walking to his/her parked car (during the daytime of nighttime), he/she can use the hand operated video phone to survey the surroundings from a distance. If anything is amiss, they can contact police if necessary.